Demon
by Ayumi Elric
Summary: A new hellish form of alchemy brings back Al's body from the Gate, but at what cost? Work of the devil cannot form into an angelic achievement, and soon Ed finds out when he finds Al turning into a monster from within.
1. I: Hexerei

**Meh, I'm totally gonna rewrite this chapter in like, a week, I don't like how it turned out. XO I coulda described it alot better! Anyway, yeah, 49th fanfic! Whooot! One more 'til 50! -which will be up in like, 10 minutes-**

**---**

Al didn't know what to expect when after a week of solitude in his work, Ed finally called him inside the abandoned warehouse he was working in. But it wasn't this.

The room was vast and circular, the walls, ceiling and floor were completely constructed of concrete. The air was humid and heavy, though unnoticed by him through the armor where his soul was encased. All around him was a huge transmutation circle; two diced rings with astrological runes in each separate square. Then the circle emptied into a sign of a six pointed star, double lined with unfamiliar runes inscribed on the inside. At each point, what looked like a white stone sat; topped with black candles that burned with eerie blue flames. The whole circle glistened darkly in the light.

Al stepped inside, peering through the dim light, staring around the room. A smaller but matching circle was written on the ceiling, large runes slightly dripping with wet dark liquid covered the walls. "B[brother? Where are you?" Al asked nervously, taking another step inside.

"Shh..." His brother's voice came from the center of the room, even though he couldn't see him. Stepping over the numerous, complicated lines of the circle, Al approached the center, a large rectangular slab of stone coming into view. Ed was hunched over it, examining the strange pictures carved into the sides. He stood up as he heard Al coming nearer. "It's almost done, Al..."

"Brother...what is this?" Al asked, gesturing around him. Ed ignored his question, crouching down again in front of a large clay bowl filled with a thick, dark substance. He stirred it slowly with a thin spoon inside the bowl, muttering to himself. "Ed...?"

Ed stopped, gently scooping the bowl up into his arms and stood, finally facing his brother. His face was now a sickly pale color, looking strange through the flickering lights. Dark shadows hung over his eyes. Al noticed that instead of his regular clothing, he had on a thin, black robe made with a flowing material hanging loosely around his body. His hair was also different, now set down to cascade down his shoulders. He smiled slightly, the smile not meeting his tired looking eyes. "You trust me...right, Al?" He asked stiffly.

"Of course I do." Al answered honestly. "Just...what is all this?"

Ed frowned, turning away and facing the stone. He carefully poured the substance over it. It hit the stone with a disgusting splattering sound that made Al cringe. After coating it with the substance, he bowed his head low, shadowing the rest of his face. "I'm sorry, Al..." He muttered, his body trembling as he clenched his fists desperately.

"For...what?" Al hesitated as he watched his brother shake his head roughly and drop to his knees in front of the stone. He clapped his hands and gently patted them on the concrete floor. Currents of black alchemic lightning danced up and faded, setting a deep trench to form around the inner circle they were in. Quickly, Ed grabbed another clay bowl and poured the contents inside. It easily filled the trench with clear liquid. Ed stood up, while at the same time grabbing a small matchbox that Al hadn't noticed. He took out a match, lit it and dropped it into the trench. Fire sprung up, licking high into the air. Al gasped; Ed just blankly stared at it, the flames reflecting in his golden eyes.

"I found...there was another kind of alchemy...a different kind...most would say it was witchcraft..." Ed whispered over the crackling of the flames. Al stared at him, unable to understand. Ed went on either way, "The ancients...they studied on the creation of life too...maybe...combined with our alchemy...it could work..." He sighed sadly, staring at the ground. "But, there's no possible way to create life without destroying others...thankfully, this method takes less lives then the Philosopher's Stone would..."

"Brother...what are you talking about?" Al asked slowly, fearfully, completely terrified of the answer. Ed looked up, the light gone from his eyes completely. "Haven't you noticed, Alphonse...?" He asked, raising a hand to point at one of the white stones. Al gasped again. In the dark, it had appeared to just be bleached stones, but now that the flames flickered light at it, it was obvious to see that it was a small human skull.

"There's 6 altogether...2 adults, 2 children and 2 infants...the circles are all written in their blood." Ed whispered. Al stared at his older brother in horror. "B-brother...how...could you?!"

"I told you, I'd do anything to get your body back," He unhooked a flat-bladed, sharp knife and held it steadily at his wrist. "And I won't rest until I see you smile again, Al." Before Al could stop him or even react, Ed swiftly sliced deep into his wrist without the slightest wrist. He let the knife clatter to the floor after the gash was made, and just stared at the wound as blood bubbled out and seeped down his arm.

"Ed!" Al shouted in surprise. "Why'd you-"

"You have to trust me, Al." Ed told him through gritted teeth. Al sighed sadly, feeling unnerved from the now apparent air of death in the room. "Yes, Brother..."

"I'll need you to lie down on this." He pointed to the slab, at the same time dipping his automail finger into the blood and started drawing patters of runes on his arm and forehead. Al nodded, clambering over to it and lying down. Al bent over him and started drawing matching runes on his armor, over the arms, legs and chest plate. He finished quickly and tugged off Al's armor, setting it beside the stone.

"Brother...??"

"There's a slim chance that this might not work, Al. If I get this wrong, I'll probably be losing you forever. If that happens...I'm...sorry." Ed whispered, soaking his thumb in blood. "I have to cut your connections to this world, then immediately start the transmutation. Are you...sure you want to do this?"

"We have to. We can't have the people who...died...this can't go to waste." Al replied calmly, denying everything he felt. He couldn't help feeling completely terrified. He had a feeling Ed wasn't telling him all the facts. He felt like he was rocketing towards the black oblivion of death.

"Okay...get ready..." Ed reached into his armor and pressed his red stained thumb onto the shield. All he had to do was move it forward just the slightest bit to smudge it out. Al frantically panicked even if he never voiced it, just screamed inside his head that he didn't want to do this, but couldn't bring himself to say it. "Now!" Ed finally said. Al screamed, aloud this time, his shrill voice echoing loudly in the vacant room, _"No!!!" _The blood seal broke with a snapping sound, sending a crack through the middle as his soul emptied from the armor.

Startled, Ed drew his hand back, his heart ramming in his ears. His breath caught in his throat as he realized seconds had passed and quickly clapped his hands in frustration and slammed them into the ground. The black lightning formed again, sending red light to envelop the room, swallowing everything in its blinding light.

-

**And that's it! Yay ciffhangers!!!! –evil laugh- I'm updating this soon, maybe in like, 3 days so ya won't have to wait so long! **

**Please review!**


	2. II: Tor

**Edu: Yo everyone. I'm Eduard, and I'm the voice in Ayumi's head that she thinks is real.**

**Ayumi: o.o Wtf?! Edu!**

**Edu: Fine, fine, only kidding. Geez! I'm just her guardian. Well, one of them. The unannoying one.**

**Ayumi: ...yeah...whatever...anyway! I updated! Squee!**

**Edu: I helped. Otherwise she wouldn't do it.**

**Ayumi: Meh. Zomg, I love my English honors class. Everyone knows I'm a writer, and I'm learning new words to put in stories.**

**Edu: So what, you usually use the thesaurus anyway.**

**Ayumi: Not the point! So anyway, I based this chapter partially on a pic of Al in the Gate I saw on dA. It was awesomely drawn. X3 Okay, onto the chapter!**

**Edu: -meows-**

**---**

Al had always expected that when his blood seal was destroyed, it would be a slow fading of his soul. But it was nothing like that. Instead, a shot of white-hot pain exploded through his soul as he was ripped out of the metal body he had been inhabiting. Black arms grabbed his newly freed soul, pulling him out of his world and into the blank nothingness of the Gate, despite all his weak attempts to get free.

And then he was surrounded by white. The brightness hurt, and he had to squint to see. He lifted his hand to shield his eyes but stopped, staring through his now transparent _flesh_ hand. He had a body again, at least a spiritual one, and it was his body when he was eight, just as he had left it. _Wh-what? Did it really work?_

He looked up. A distance away, he could see himself, no, his _body_, sitting on the ground, his knees curled up to his chest and his hands wrapped around his legs. It was the age it should be, a fourteen year old teen-aged boy. His body looked up at him and smiled dazedly, hazel eyes distanced and glazed. Al smiled shakily, tears pricking into his eyes. He wiped them away with his hand and ran- or glided towards his body. But he stopped abruptly as he got a clearer view. Something was wrong.

Something black snacked around Al's body, a bulge that could only be a head resting on his thin shoulder, small black fists tangled in his long, ragged bronze hair. It was like a deformed black baby, stretched and wrapped around his body like a leech. It lifted its ugly head and opened its eyes, slitted and violet. It smiled crudely with a mouth full of tiny, pointed teeth. His body also opened his mouth, moving to form words it didn't really say, as the voice came from the demonic infant,

_"So, you've finally done it. It took you long enough." _The infant purred, its voice sounding exactly like his, but shadowed with another voice, a crueler, raspier voice that seemed to mock him with every word.

_"Wh-what are you?" _Al managed to whisper, taking another step closer. He couldn't help it, even if he was frightened; the soul was bound for the body, and it felt like his was pulling him in.

Al's body bowed his head and smiled under his bangs. _"I am but a child of the Gate, never given a name, nor a life. But you need to call me something, correct? Call me...Nikitou...it sounds innocent enough." _He laughed, a dull but high pitched screeching cackle that Al recognize from when his body was taken from him so many years ago.

Nikitou looked up and tilted his head curiously. _"Have you come to steal this body from me?" _He asked slowly with malice and fear clinging to his words. Al shook his head. _"It's not stealing...this is my body."_

The Child hissed as a response, his head dropping into his supporting arms. _"No! ...I'll never let you have it...this body is mine, and nobody will take it from me...I want to live..."_

Al frowned sadly, taking another step forward. His body shuddered and looked up, his empty eyes now filled with grief. _"I want to live!" _He repeated. _"It's dark thee...it's so dark...I don't want to go back in there."_

_"Isn't there anyway for you to stay alive?" _Al questioned in sympathy. Nikitou stared at him for a bewildered moment, then broke into an excited, bony smile. _"Yes! Yes, there is! We can share, your body, that is. I'll just be a residing spirit, no harm done, just until I can get a body of my own."_

Al's frown deepened in confusion as he thought about it. _"It won't be for that long, right?"_

_"Yes. I might be able to get strong enough to create a body of my own in that time."_

Al sighed. No harm done helping a lost spirit, right? _"Fine...as long as you promise my brother never finds out. I'm not sure how he'll take it."_

_"Yes! Yes, of course!" _Nikitou replied happily, his eyes dancing in glee. He staggered to his feet and quickly closed the distance between the two. Al stared upward where his body and Nikitou's spirit already fused together, the blackness of Nikitou merging into his heart.

Nikitou lifted a small black hand and placed it on top of Al's head. _"You shan't regret this, Alphonse." _He promised. Al smiled; the both of them, body and soul, lifted their hands and pressed their palms together. There was a bright flash of light and they were gone.

**---**

**Zomg, I love how this chapter came out. X3 Squee! Okay, ending it quickly. Review replies!**

**agent000- Zomg, yay for (almost) spooking you! X3 That'll be my goal! To freaking creep you out+.+**

**Pastel Cupcake- X3 I know, don't you love Edward being evil?! IT'S SO SEXY! XD**

**InuyashaLuver1224- I love that phrase...'holy hell'...hehehe...**

**Awesome!- XD; I'll update faster next time then**

**blue-soljah- XD; Same thing.**


	3. III: Leben

**Ayumi: Happy November 1st! XD NaNoWriMo starts today, whoot! **

**Edu: About time too, I thought you'd go crazy waiting for it. And you thought it was the 5th, -snort-**

**Ayumi: Y'know, sometimes I wonder if you're just here to bother me...**

**Edu: ...shh.**

**Ayumi: I can't wait to start -sings- I'm gonna start it right after this, hehe. Hope ya'll like this chapter!**

**Edu: You better...oh yeah, I almost forgot. This chapter ain't Elricest, by the way.**

**Ayumi: Oh yeah, we were supposed to say that. He's right! Some of you might think that because of what happened...**

**Edu: It's only brotherly love! I'd do the same with my brother if that happened!**

**---**

It's been too long. Ed frowned, staring down at the now empty armor in front of him. The light from the transmutation circle still somehow lingered in the air, although dimmed greatly and shadowed by the flickering lights of black-blue flames.

_That's it. I was too late...I failed...I failed Al, just like I failed Mom. _Ed decided weakly, clenching his balled fist harder. He just had to face the facts. Al was gone now, and this time it was too late to bring him back. With his own two hands, he had just...murdered his own brother.

He could no longer feel he legs, or at least the leg he _could_ feel, his knees attracted to the solid ground beneath. He sat there, learned forward to be on all fours, staring blankly at the concrete floor, rubbed red with the blood of the sacrificed. "Why couldn't I just wait..." He whispered bitterly, glaring at the ground below with tears starting to fill his eyes, and ground his knuckles into the floor when he balled his hands into fists again. "What have I done?"

A wave of pain twisted into his stomach. Edward grimaced, curling an arm around his stomach, and groaned as it felt like his insides were twisting around themselves. "What...the...hell..." He muttered, tightening his grip. His stomach lurched; Ed flinched and a flood of blood burst from his mouth.

He gagged on the strong iron taste and coughed out more blood, and covered his mouth with his free hand as he continued to cough uncontrollably. Blood spurted from between his fingers and dripped thickly down his skin. He stopped a few minutes later, spitting out the red remains in disgust. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his stomach harder.

The area before him started to glow white, where the armor lay. He gasped and looked up, staring horrified at it. The tip of the arched chest plate shone brightly, and slowly, the light spread downward, a thin line passing through the armor; where it touched would dissolve into the air by the time the light passed through it. Shocked, Ed staggered to his feet and stepped closer to the disappearing armor, stopping and dropping to his knees again in front of it. He just watched, knowing he was unable to do a thing.

The armor had now completely faded. But in its place was the naked body of a boy, looking half starved and abandoned, his long bronze hair spilling messily over the left side of his face. Ed's eyes widened, as the boy opened his stormy eyes and slowly turned his head to look at him, looking shocked. "Brother...?" He croaked.

"Al...?" He whispered, the corner of his lips curling into a faint smile. Alphonse returned the smile, but barely. "I'm glad...that it...worked."

"Y-yeah..." Ed choked out, his vision blurred with unshed tears. He smiled a little more and let the tears run down his face. He gently scooped Al into his arms, cradling him tightly. Al looked up at his brother in confusion, blinking at the crystal drops dripping onto his face.

"Oh God, Al, I'm so sorry...I thought I had lost you forever...I'm just so happy that you're back." He whispered shakily. "Brother..." Al breathed, tears also filling his eyes. He couldn't control them at all as they fell; he'd gone so long without really being able to show emotion, and there were so many thins he had wanted to cry about but couldn't. He didn't just cry because he was happy, he cried that the first transmutation had failed, he cried for his brother sacrificing his limbs for his life, he cried for Nina, he cried for Hughes, and Martel, and for all the six who had lost their lives for his body, he cried for everything that had gone wrong in his life.

He shifted the slightest bit, and Ed hugged him tighter, not caring that he was soaking his clothes with his tears. It felt so good for Al to finally feel his brother's warm body again, to hear his heartbeat, to be able to inhale the sweet, yet musky scent of his skin, even if it was tinged with the heavy scent of iron.

Eventually, Ed finally let go and looked at his face, wiping the back of his hand against Al's cheek. "Why're you still crying for?"

"Can't stop..." Al mumbled simply, cracking a smile. Ed smiled back, then sighed. "We have to get back; do you think you can move?"

Al tried to, but his body felt too achy and heavy to respond. "Can't...sorry."

"What're you apologizing for? It's not your fault. When you were in the armor, you just had to will it to move. Now it actually requires effort, and your body's just too weak right now." Ed propped Al up against the higher edge of the stone and slipped the black robe over his head and off, his regular outfit underneath. He wiped away most of the blood with his automail arm, leaving his still bleeding flesh arm to hang at his side. Al gasped silently, just noticing the red stains. "Blood?" He asked, still unable to talk that well.

Ed shrugged. "It's nothing." He muttered, licking his lips just in case any scarlet was still on them. He draped the robe over Al before scooping him up again, but this time hoisting him onto his back. "Okay, let's go back."

-

"Welcome back, Mr. Elric. You're home early." The elderly landlady of the apartment the Elrics had been staying at temporarily flashed a crinkly smile.

"Hey, Mrs. Stearns. I only had to do a few errands anyway." Ed replied warily, returning a tired smile. She nodded and glanced at Al, who had been staring at the ceiling. "And who's this? A friend?"

"No, it's Al." Ed's grin grew. Mrs. Stearns' eyes widened, but she smiled in welcome. "Oh my, Alphonse! I didn't recognize you without that armor. Taking it off for good now?"

"Yup." Al answered. Then, afraid of sounding rude, added, "Nice...to see you."

"You too." She chuckled. "Um, Mrs. Stearns, Al's kinda hurt, do you have a wheelchair or something I can put him in?" Ed asked.

"Oh, yes. I've had a spare one just sitting around, ever since my husband had..." A flicker of sadness crossed her face. "Well anyway, hold on for just a moment." She rushed off, and returned moments later with a folded wheelchair. She set it on the ground and unfolded the old brown leather chair. Ed carefully set Al onto it. "s that good, Al?"

"It's fine." Al replied with a smile. Ed nodded and smiled back, but his jaw was clenched as if he was in pain. Al and Mrs. Stearns both noticed this and frowned. "Are you all right, dear?" She asked.

"Mmhm. Just fine." He muttered; his left arm witching and moving behind his back. She sighed. "Okay. I'm making stew tonight, if you'd want some."

"Thanks, we'd really appreciate it." Ed cut in. She nodded, starting to head for the kitchen on that floor. "Don't forget that your rent's due today."

"I didn't...I'll go get it now. I'll be back, Al." Ed ran up the stairs two at a time. Al watched him go with a frown, and gasped when an echoing voice filled his mind.

_"So that's the fool they've spoken about." _Nikitou chuckled sinisterly.

"...what?" Al hissed angrily, keeping his voice down,

_"That's the boy, right? The boy who transmuted his mother...they've spoke about him many times Inside...Humans are so strange..." _He laughed, and Al shuddered at the sound. _"They're all so amusing."_

**---**

**I got alot more reviews this chapter. Yay! -hugs all reviewers-**

**Skyler25- I made this chapter longer then the others...hopefully, I'll be doing that with alot of fics...making longer chapters...-nod nod- No, you can email me, it's just that I won't see it until I get to school, since my computer sucks. Meh email adress ish ChibiChii55 at yahoo dot com n.n**

**agent000- Doesn't matter, I shall try anyway+.+ And yeah, maybe this will get bad. I dunno. What does the summary say? He's gonna turn into some sort of monster? Huh...maybe...**

**psyscosquirrel- Eduard thanks you for actually calling him by his name XD; The point is to NOT do that, okies? X3 Glad you like the story so far!**

**Bar-Ohki- I just noticed...that's like, almost the same thing you say every time you review...lol**

**blue-soljah- He's interesting now? .o. Okay, cool. **

**Moofy-Fan- XD; And now Nikitou's cool? Hehehe...in a couple of chapters you won't be saying that...-gasp, foreshadowing-**

**SapphireElric- I like making it creepy n.n Creepy equals fun**

**Ara Mei- Hai, something might change...something...-snicker snicker-**

**XxHouranxX- Oh, come on! I don't kill Ed off in EVERY fanfic! ...just...a couple of them...-shifty eyes- Besides, Ed torture is fun to write...**

**InuyashaLuver1224- Oh, haha. I just lost my vocabulary book, damn you...XO It's not my fault I ain't got no big words, geez!**


End file.
